Loose leaf binder



Sept. 6, 1938. A. M. MARTIN LOOSE LEAF BINDER Original Filed June 10. 1951 k9); M272 I 1 Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 10, 1931, Serial No. 543,374 Renewed November 27, 1936 20 Claims.

These improvements relate to loose-leaf binders for record sheets or the like.

An important object is to provide a simple and highly advantageous loose-leaf binder of the prong type in which the prongs tend tocome into position for use by merely spreading the covers apart and while in that operative position the prongs may be freely manipulated into their more fully or completely open position and back to the partly-open position, with a minimum of effort, the supporting means therefor constituting a permanent back for the binder responsive to movements of the other parts.

In the drawing Figure 1 is an end View of the preferred form of the device in the fully-closed position, thecovers being partly broken away;

Figure 2 shows in similar end view the device of Fig. 1 with the covers normally spread apart;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view with the parts in the position of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a similar sectional view with the parts in the position of Fig. 2;

Figure: 5 is a cross-sectional view following Fig. 4 with the prongs in the fully-open position;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the device partly broken away interiorly and with the covers broken away, the binder being in the open position of Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is here shown a pair of rigid elongated substantially round cornered L-shape back members A and B extending from end to end of the device, in part formed of sheet metal and comprising respectively the side parts or supports proper l5 and the bottom parts or base proper it co-extensive with which is the usual covering material ll of fibre, bakelite or the like. It is important for present purposes that the L-shaped members face each other, that is to jointly form a channel-shape structure, and it will be particularly noted that this form is defined including the covers when the covers are in parallel relationas in Figs. 1 and 3. This permits the binder to be handled like an ordinary book. The members A and B together form supporting means comprising base and upstanding or rest members for a pair of prong-carrying parts C andD hinged together and to the members A and B to form a toggle device.

At each end of the binder here represented is a pair of telescoping members I8 and 19, the members l8 being female and the members l9 male. These are formed of flat sheet material, are substantially wide in the up and down direc- 5 tions, with parts l8a of member l8 turned over to form a narrow and substantially close-fitting guideway at the top and bottom for the flat platelike member 59. Members l8 and I9 are turned at their outer ends at l8?) and Nib (Fig. 6) and secured, as by spot-welding, to the inner surfaces respectively of parts E5 of members A and B. Fig. 1 shows a space at 20 to permit the telescopic action of these members It and [9. When the telescopic members are assembled as shown, the members A and B may be moved toward and away from each other in parallel relation through this telescopic connection, while at all times the members it are maintained against relative angular movement.

In this instance, to: efiect a leverage means for the toggle, along the outer edge of each part !5 of members A and B is turned a series of hinge lugs. 22 cooperating with similar hinge lugs on the metallic strips 23 secured to the plate-like covers 24, with a hinge pin 25 connecting the hinge lugs at each side of the device. This hinge at 25 is to be understood as being of the ordinary piano type wherein the hinge lugs alternate and interfit with each other in close arrangement.

Another metallic plate 26 is secured to the covers respectively upon hinge plate 23, and hinge lugs 2? for the toggle device are formed along the inner edges of these plates 26. The hinge pins for this connection are marked 29, and are off-set from but close to the hinge pins 25.

The prong-carrying members or toggle parts C and D are also substantially L-shaped in end view and comprise the side members 33 and the bottom members 35. The bottom members are hinged together on a hinge pin 35, which is midway between the sides of the device. The members 33 are provided with hinge lugs marked 31 on one side and 38 on'the other. The adjacent hinge lugs 21 and 38 (Fig. 6) show a piano-type hinge. On the other side the hinge lugs 31 are considerably shorter than the adjacent lugs 21 which are spaced by cut-outs 3i! and provide a space marked 50 between adjacent ones of these hinge lugs. The center hinge at pin is formed of lugs ii extending from one member 36 and lugs 42 extending from the other member 34, and these hinge lugs Q1 and 42 are so spaced apart longitudinally at the spaces marked 43 that the left-hand toggle part as viewed in Fig. 6, namely part C, may move longitudinally relatively to the right-hand toggle part, or part D, on the hinge pin 35 and one of the hinge pins 29. This shifting movement of part C relatively to part D is limited on the hinge pin 35 and one of the hinge pins 29, and is permitted by the spaces marked 43 and 40. The dotted prongs in Fig. 6 show the shifted position. The illustrations in this regard show the adaptability of the invention to that important branch of the art known as shift binders wherein one set of prongs may be moved longitudinally with respect to the other set in order to accomplish certain valuable results in the insertion, removal and reorganization of sheets in series on the prongs.

The prongs marked 45 and 46 are shown rigidly secured in longitudinal series to plates 4'! and these plates are rigidly secured to the side members 33 of toggle parts C and D. The use of plates as 41 is merely for manufacturing convenience and additional strength, and to all intents and purposes the prongs are secured to these oppositely-disposed side walls 33 relatively close to the hinges 29.

The. prongs 45 and 46 are on arcuate lines, with the common radius terminating in hinge pin 35. These prongs are of such length as to reach to the member 33 opposite the one thereof to which the prongs respectively are secured. This is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Each series of these prongs extends from end to end of the device, in the longitudinal direction of the several hinge pins mentioned. In a shift binder they may be arranged after the manner shown in my Patent No. 1,269,479 of June 11, 1918; and I have shown a similar arrangement in Fig. 6 hereof. The same arrangement may be used for a non-shift book where sheets in series are to be inserted. They may be arranged otherwise for particular purposes, and they may vary in number, as occasion may suggest.

On the plate-like parts 34 of parts C and D are desirably pieces of fibre or other material 48 serving as a finish for the gap at 49 when the book is in closed position, as in Figs. 1 and 3.

Turning now to the operation, starting with the position of Fig. l the covers 24 are spread apart and swung laterally downward on hinge pins 25 respectively as shown in Fig. 2, to open the binder. Since the hinge pins 29 are closely associated with but are offset from hinge pins 25 respectively, each cover is in this instance a lever of the first class, being fulcrumed at 25. When the covers descend, hinge pins 29 describe an arc about hinge pins 25 having first a chiefly upward component and then a chiefly lateral outward component. On the initial movement of the covers, hinge pins 29 begin to rise. On the beginning of the lateral movement of the hinge pins 29, the walls 33 of members C and D near hinge lugs 31 and 38 are drawn against hinge lugs 22 respectively, and as hinge pins 29 continue to move laterally outward, the lower ends of walls 33 are forced in a direction toward each other. This tends to cook the toggle upward in the middle at the same time widening the toggle, and under this leverage action of walls 33 fulcruming on hinge lugs 22, the rest members A and B are moved laterally, first apart and then toward each other as the toggle is moved upward.

This first puts the prong-carrying device C-D into the partly-open position of Fig. 2. With the prongs thus partly overlapped, in end View of the binder, sheets may be swung from one set of prongs to the other, and thus entries may be made here and there or information obtained, and all the while no further manipulation of the binder is necessary. If, however, it is desired to remove or insert sheets, the prongs can be readily moved to the position shown in Fig. 5 in which they are shown fully separated for this purpose. Thereupon by a slight effort, the prongs may be pushed downwardly again to the partly-closed position. All of this may be done without raising the covers.

There are several important advantages in having the binder tend to come automatically into the partly-open position, when the covers are spread apart. First, this frees the sheet material for movement from side to side of the device and also permits the sheet material to lie substantially flat upon the covers. Again, in the older type, when it is desired to spread the prongs apart from the fully-closed position and the binder is well filled with sheets considerable force is neces sary, owing to the binding action of the sheets on the prongs. This objection is at least partially overcome by the present device through the leverage provided by the fact that the prong-carrying means is fulcrumed on its supports, this tending to separate the prongs when the covers are opened, the weight of the covers adding to this leverage. I may form the parts at the corners 50 (Fig. 2) so that finish material I! contacts the cover 24 when the binder is lying open which contributes to the leverage effort described, should the binder be tilted.

The supporting means and toggle device together constitute what I may term a middle device forming a unitary binder including a binder back in which the toggle is suspended at all times above the base of the back and preferably out of contact therewith. When the binder is open there are means for compensating for the widening and narrowing of the toggle as its middle hinge moves. These means, in the specific form shown, permit the rest members and also the covers to move .in directions away from and toward each other. In the present construction, this movement is rectilinear. The supporting means in the present device are peculiarly noncollapsible in the sense that the toggle device is always spaced from the base member of the supporting means, while permitting free movement of both the toggle device and the supporting means at least partly under the influence of the covers and contents of the binder (not shown), and of course under the manipulation of the operator. The binder back thus provided is entirely self-adjustable.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the corners C and D of the L-shaped parts C and D ar-e'n-ormally below the top edge of the telescopic connection l8--I9, and from Fig. 6 that the ends of parts C and D come very close to at least one of the members l8-I9, namely member I 8. This prevents shifting of part C longitudinally relatively to part D at the beginning of the opening movement. Shifting may take place, however, in the more fully open position and, importantly, it may take place with the prongs still over-lapped, as by drawing the prongs apart slightly farther in Fig. 2. When the parts are in the shifted position, the binder may not be fully closed owing to the position of corner C with respect to telescopic member l8, which it would strike if an attempt is made to close the binder when the parts are shifted. This insures putting the parts in proper relationship before closing the binder.

This application is a continuation in part of my abandoned application Serial No. 360,420, filed May 4, 1929 on Loose-leaf binders.

I contemplate as being included in these improvements all such changes, variations and departures from what is thus specifically illustrated 75 and described as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A binder of the character described comprising a pair of covers, each cover having a lever extension, a permanent self-adjustable back for the binder including a base and an upstanding supporting member for each cover and hinged thereto, and a toggle device hinged at its sides to the covers respectively and adjacent to said lever extensions respectively, the toggle device comprising a pair of parts medially hinged together and each of said parts carrying prongs, the opposed prongs overlapping each other deeply when the binder is closed and being respectively on an arc the center of which is substantially at said medial hinge connection between said parts, the supporting members being arranged to have limited relative movement under the influence of the toggle device, and being adapted to hold the covers whereby the medial hinge is held for up and down movements when the binder is normally lying open on .a table-top, said lever extensions coacting with the supporting members respectively for moving the toggle device to move the opposed prongs in directions apart to a limited extent when the covers are normally spread apart.

2. A loose-leaf binder of thecharacter described comprising a pair of spaced-apart covers apermanent self-adjustable back for the binder including a base and an upstanding supporting member for each cover, the supporting members being spaced apart and the combined covers and supporting members constituting spaced-apart supports, and a toggle device comprising a pair of parts having a medial hinge between them, prongs carried by each of said parts, the prongs overlapping each other deeply when the binder is closed and being respectively on an arc the center of which is substantially at said medial hinge connection, the covers being hinged at the upper portions of the supporting members re-' spectively when the binder is normally lying open, the supporting members being arranged to have limited relative movement under the influence of the toggle device and holding the covers whereby the toggle device is held for up and down movements when the binder is normally open, the toggle device being hingedly swung between the inner edges of the covers at places inward of the hinge connections between the supporting members and the covers and the cover hinge structure providing lever means under the control of the spreading-apart movement of the covers for moving the toggle device to move the prongs in directions apart to a limited extent.

3. In a loose-leaf binder, a toggle device having oppositely disposed sheet-impaling prongs thereon, a pair of covers mounted on the toggle device to swing apart, and supporting means for the toggle device with means including said covers for causing the toggle device to come automatically into position for up and down relative movements to open and close the prongs while the covers are being spread apart on a table top, said supporting means including members having relative rectilinear movement laterally of the binder.

4. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of covers, an elongated middle device including a toggle adapted to carry opposed prongs for movement in directions toward and away from each other, opposed prongs in overlapped relation to each other carried by said toggle for such movement,

the covers being hingedly mounted on said middle device at opposite sides thereof respectively and so as to swing from a closed to an open relative position, means including said covers for causing the toggle device to come automatically into position for such movement of the prongs when the covers are spread apart on a table top, and stop means effective between each cover and said middle device to limit the opening movement of each cover relative to said device whereby the tendency of the middle device to tilt laterally in either direction relative to the covers will communicate lifting strains to one of the covers.

5. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of a pair of elongated supports each including a base part and a part rigid therewith and upstanding therefrom, members parallel with the base parts of the supports having telescoping relationship, at least one of said supports being mounted to slide bodily rectilinearly in directions toward and away from the other thereof, a toggle device laterally hinged adjacent to the upper edges of said supports respectively, and a cover also hinged to each of said supports adjacent to the upper edge thereof.

6. In a loose-leaf binder of the class described, the combination of prong-holding means in the form of a toggle device having a medial hinge, supporting means for supporting the toggle device for free movement of the medial hinge, said supporting means comprising a pair of upstanding substantially parallel spaced-apart members carrying the toggle device and base parts rigidly connected with the said members respectively extending in a plant at all times substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the medial hinge, said supporting means including parts having relative limited lateral movement in the region where the toggle device is supported to accommodate slight lateral movement of the toggle parts.

7. In a loose-leaf binder of the class described, the combination of prong-holding means in the form of a two-part toggle device having a medial hinge, opposed rows of prongs carried by said means to move forward and away from each other when the binder is open and the medial hinge is moved in vertical directions, a pair of covers, side hinges connecting the covers and toggle parts respectively, a permanent self-adjustable middle device comprising a base and permanently upstanding supporting means for the covers and toggle device, lever arms carried by the supporting means and connected with the covers and toggle device, said lever arms carrying the hinges between the covers and toggle parts, side hinges connecting the lever arms respectively to the supporting means apart from the connections of the covers to the toggle device, and means on the medial hinge and one of the side hinges permitting one part of the toggle to shift on the supporting means longitudinally of the other part of the toggle device.

8. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of prong-holding means in the form of a toggle device hinged medially, unitary supporting means therefor comprising a base and permanently upstanding members carried by the base, opposed rows of prongs carried by said prongholding means to move toward and away from each other with the prongs of one row in offset relation to the prongs of the other row, and means including a pair of swinging cover members having a closed position and a spread-apart open position, with means associated with said covers tending to move the prongs in directions apart while the covers are being moved from their closed to their open position, said means associated with the covers including a rigid member articulated with one of the supporting means at one place and flexibly connecting one of the covers and the toggle device at another place.

9. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of prong-holding means in the form of a toggle device hinged medially, opposed rows of prongs carried by said means to move toward and away from each other with the prongs of one row in offset relation to the prongs of the other row, a pair of cover members having a closed substantially parallel relation to each other and an open position in which they lie substantially in a plane, and leverage means including said cover members tending to move the prongs in directions apart when the cover members are moved from their parallel relation into their open coplanar position.

10. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of two supporting members arranged side by side and slidably connected with each other for movement transversely toward and from each other, a set of prongs for each of said supporting members in parallel arrangement pivotally mounted on a longitudinal axis on said supporting member, and means connected with said prongs and comprising pivotally connected members each adapted to swing with one of said sets of prongs and normally buckled downwardly serving when 7 one set of'prongs is swung upwardly and outwardly with respect to the other set to give said supporting members a slight relative movement outwardly with respect to each other.

11. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of two supporting members, means connecting said supporting members adapted to hold them at all times against angular movement transversely with respect to each other but adapted to permit said supporting members to move toward and from each other, two plates pivotally connected together at their inner edges and pivotally connected at their outer edges with the upper edge portions of said supporting members and normally buckled downwardly whereby upon upward swinging movement they force said supporting members outwardly, a set of curved prongs on the upper edge portion of each of said plates in concentric position about the axis on which said plates are connected together, and cover members pivotally connected at their inner edges with the upper edge portions of said supporting members.

12. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of two supporting members, means connecting said supporting members adapted to hold them at all times against angular movement transversely with respect to each other but adapted to permit said supporting members to move toward and from each other, a set of prongs in parallel arrangement pivotally mounted on a longitudinal axis on each supporting member, cover members pivotally connected at their inner edges with the upper edge portions of said supporting members, and means connected with said prongs serving when one of said sets of prongs is swung upwardly and outwardly with respect to the other set to give said supporting members and said cover members a relative movement outwardly with respect to: each other, one of said sets of prongs being movable longitudinally of the de' vice for efiecting a longitudinal shifting of rec ord sheets mounted thereon with respect to record sheets carried by the prongs of the other set.

13. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination with a base, of a supporting member, prongholding means carried on said supporting member to rotate thereabout, a cover member hinged to said prong-holding means and hingedly fulcrumed on said supporting member apart from the hinge between the cover member and prongholding means, and a prong attached to said prong-holding means on one side of said fulcrum and relatively close thereto, said base carrying the supporting member at all times upstanding.

14. In a loose-leaf binder back of the class described, the combination with prong-holding means in the form of a toggle device having a medial hinge, of substantially round cornered channel form means for supporting the toggle device for free movement of the medial hinge, said supporting means comprising a pair of upstanding spaced-apart members carrying the toggle device, adjustable means operatively connecting said members and partially responsive to movements of the medial hinge while maintaining the said members in substantially upstanding position, whereby collapsing of the binder back is prevented but free movement of both the supporting means and the medial hinge is otherwise permitted, and leverage means carried by each member of the supporting means connected with the toggle device and to which the supporting means is flexibly connected, the point of said flexible connection of the supporting means and leverage means constituting a fulcrum for movement of the toggle device.

15. In a loose-leaf binder back of the class described, the combination with prong-holding means in the form of a toggle device having a medial hinge, of channel-form supporting means flexibly connected to the toggle device for free movement of the medial hinge, said supporting means comprising a pair of upstanding spacedapart members carrying the toggle device, a pair of covers also carried by the supporting means and hinged thereto, stop means limiting movement of the covers on the supporting means, and adjustable means operatively connecting said members and partially responsive to movements of the medial hinge while maintaining the said members in substantially upstanding position, whereby collapsing of the binder back is prevented but free movement of both the supporting means and the medial hinge is otherwise permitted.

16. In a loose-leaf binder back of the class described, the combination with prong-holding means in the form of a toggle device having a medial hinge, of substantially round cornered channel-form supporting means flexibly connected to the toggle device for free movement of the medial hinge, said supporting means comprising a pair of unstanding spaced-apart members carrying the toggle device, a pair of covers also carried by the supporting means and hinged thereto through leverage means, stop means on both the covers and the supporting means limiting movement of the covers on the supporting means, adjustable means operatively connecting said members and partially responsive to movements of the medial hinge while maintaining the said members in substantially upstanding position, whereby collapsing of the binder back is prevented but free movement of both the supeach of the members of the supporting means and being connected with the toggle device and a corresponding one of the covers and the supporting means being flexibly connected to said leverage means, the point of said flexible connection of the supporting means and leverage means constituting a fulcrum for movement of the toggle device.

1'7. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of two supporting members, means connecting said supporting members adapted to hold them at all times against angular movement transversely with respect to each other but adapted to permit said supporting members to move toward and from each other, a set of prongs for each of said supporting members in parallel arrangement pivotally mounted on a longitudinal axis on said supporting member, and means actuated by an upward and outward swinging movement of one of said sets of prongs for giving said supporting members a slight relative movement outwardly with respect to each other.

18. In a loose-leaf unitary binder of the class described, the combination of prong-holding means in the form of a toggle device having a medial hinge, a permanent non-collapsible selfadjustable binder back comprising supporting means including a separable base and supporting members carried by the base and hinged to the toggle device for free movement of the medial hinge, said supporting means being arranged for limited relative expansion and contraction responsive to the influence of the toggle device while still being maintained at all times substantially upstanding with respect to the toggle device, and a pair of covers hinged to the said back to swing from a parallel relation outwardly of the binder back, said covers and binder backtogether when the covers are in parallel relation forming a structure defined by two generally L-shape parts facing each other in jointly channel formation and interconnected at the base, with the medial hinge of the toggle at all times supported freely of the base.

19. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination with a two-part prong-carrying means, of supporting means for the prong-carrying means including a separable base and members upstanding therefrom and hinged to each part of said prong-carrying means respectively, means providing limited expansion and contraction of the supporting means responsive to movement of the prongcarrying means while maintaining the said members upstanding, a pair of covers, side hinges connecting the covers and prong-carrying parts respectively, and lever arms carried by the supporting means and connected with the covers and prong-carrying parts respectively, said lever arms carrying the hinges between the covers and prong-carrying parts, and side hinges connecting the lever arms respectively to the supporting means apart from the connections of the covers to the prong-carrying means.

20. In a loose-leaf binder back of the class described, the combination of prong-holding means in the form of a toggle device having a medial hinge, substantially round cornered channelform supporting means flexibly connected to the toggle device for free movement of the medial hinge, said supporting means comprising a pair of upstanding spaced-apart members carrying the toggle device, and adjustable means operatively connecting said members and partially responsive to movements of the medial hinge while maintaining the said members in substantially upstanding position, whereby collapsing of the binder back is prevented but free movement of both the supporting means and the medial hinge is otherwise permitted.

ALFRED M. MARTIN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No; 2 l29,225. September 6, 1958;

ALFRED M. MARTIN.

-It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specifflzation of the above numbered patent requiring eorrectionae.follows: Page5, second column, line 56, claim 6 for the word "plant" read -plane--; -and that the said Letters Patent shoula be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the caseillthe Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this aha day of July, A. D. 19h0.

Henry Van-Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

